Pokémon: The Bronze, Jade, and Marble Saga
by TypeManipule'S8E94U
Summary: The lives of the people of Monchu have always revolved around Pokémon. Now two childhood friends, Bronze and Jade, must choose their own path and find their destiny with Pokémon.
1. One Day in Alcapo Town

_Beep. Beep. Beep._  
Bronze's Chipree-shaped alarm clock blared into the early morning, the chattering teeth clanging against its frame.

Groaning at the barely waking dawn, Bronze rolled away from the light. He opened an eye to stare into Chipree's annoyingly smug face, then smacked it on the head. Chipree fell silent.

"Haha," he reveled in his tired wittiness. "Karate Chop, Machop, go. Haha."  
He closed his eyes again, ready to fall back asleep.  
He opened them again and smiled.  
_Today's the day,_ he thought happily. _Today I talk to Professor Maple. He said he had a surprise for me. I think I know what it is._

Normally, Bronze would hate to get up at this hour, but he was filled with that euphoria that comes from anxious anticipation. He couldn't wait to get going and down to Professor Maple's lab. Bronze had always loved that place; it had seemed alive and full of wonder and possibility, like anything could happen. He just knew Professor Maple had something amazing for him.  
Bronze leapt out of bed and got ready as quickly as possible. He was in such a hurry he forgot to put on his pants.

"Thanks, Mom!" he called from his room after she pointed out his lack of pants. He pulled them on hastily and then grabbed his bag and headed out the door.

"Wait, Bronze!"  
Bronze turned around at the head of the walkway; his mom tossed him a granola bar from the doorway.  
"You forgot to eat your breakfast! A growing boy needs his nutrition!"

"Mom!" sighed Bronze exasperatedly.

"Oh! Save some for your Pokémon!"

Bronze's face lit up, his eyes twinkling brightly.  
"I knew it!" he cheered with glee. "I knew that was what this was about! I'm getting my first Pokémon!"

"Dammit!" said his mom in mock frustration. "I'm always so terrible with surprises. Oh, well! Have fun, Bronze! Tell Professor Maple hi for me, okay?"

"'Kay, Mom!"

Bronze practically skipped down the narrow road on his way to Professor Maple's lab. He passed his neighbor's house and the Pokémon Center, flying down the street.

"_Good thing Mom got me these running shoes_," thought Bronze to himself as he went around a bend. "I _can sprint everywhere without worrying about hurting my ankles or something._"

Just then, Bronze stopped in his tracks and stared ahead of him. He couldn't believe his eyes: A Finnich, right there on the path! Usually, they didn't come near civilization. Then again, Alcapo Town wasn't exactly metropolitan.

"Easy there, little guy," cooed Bronze quietly. He wasn't sure if Finnich were aggressive, but he didn't want to take the chance. He only saw them when he went with his mom to Senyo Town, and even then, her Boraureal usually scared them off.  
"I'm not gonna hurt you. I just want to get by—"

Just then, Bronze's clumsiness struck. His foot fell against a rock in the road, causing him to fall forward and right in front of the Finnich's curious face.  
The Finnich's expression quickly changed from curiosity to fear as it took to the air, letting out a horrible cry of distress. Immediately, dozens of older Finnich and Finalore came to the small bird Pokémon's aid. One large Finalore leading the flock stared intensely at Bronze, who began slowly to get off the ground. He backed up quietly, calmly, holding out his hands to try to assuage the flapping birds. When he thought he'd just about gotten off the hook, he stepped back again. . . onto a stick. Almost losing his balance, he cried out in dismay as he struggled to gain his footing, snapping the stick in two. The head Finalore, apparently perceiving this as a threat, rallied his companions with a call to attack. They charged ruthlessly at Bronze, who took off once more down the road.

"_Thank God for these shoes!"_ he thought again, huffing and puffing with the effort.

The birds were in hot pursuit, flapping furiously as they chased him out of the small thicket of trees through which Bronze had stumbled. Following the lead Finalore's example, they began to launch Air Cutter and Air Slash attacks at Bronze as he sprinted away. He could barely keep out of their reach, let alone their attack range for long. He began to climb a crest, and then, there it was: Professor Maple's lab!

Out of breath, Bronze managed out a few strangled yelps of "PROFESSOR MAPLE!" as he dashed toward the lab in the distance. He could see the dot of Professor Maple emerging from the lab, not caring about the stunned expression on his face.  
"DO SOMETHING!" he yelled, still running full tilt from his avian assailants.

"Right! Just hold on, Bronze!" called Professor Maple.

"HOLDING ON!"

"Go, Mesterquin!" The words rang out over the hillside as a red light produced an anthropomorphic creature with wild blue hair and a black face. With a small cackle, it raised its chin, staring into the distance.  
"Mesterquin, use Reflect to block off the Finnich and Finalore!" called Professor Maple to his Pokémon. Mesterquin nodded in agreement and, bowing its head, spread its hands out in front of itself. An invisible wall appeared between Bronze and the oncoming bird Pokémon. The first wave collided with the wall, the rest pulling back to avoid it. With a call from the Finalore in charge, they retreated back to the forest.

"Are you all right, Bronze?" asked Professor Maple.

(Props to DelinquentDuo for the idea of posting story info at the end of the chapter like this)

Chipree (CHIP-ree), the Tunnel Pokémon  
Type: Normal  
Height: 43.0 cm Weight: 8.4 kg  
Ability: Run Away

Description: Like a cross between a prairie dog and a chipmunk, Chipree is a small rodent with stubby legs and a small tail that usually stands on its hind legs. It has a yellow-brown color and large bright black-brown eyes. It's a very social creature that lives in family groups within huge subterranean tunnel systems.

Finnich (FINN-itch), the Adapt Pokémon  
Type: Normal/Flying  
Height: 28.1 cm Weight: 2.1 kg  
Ability: Tangled Feet (male) or Run Away (female)

Description: More or less a generic small songbird, based off the American goldfinch. The male has colorful plumage: bright yellow feathers with black highlights on the wingtips and tail, and two black stripes along the head. The female has dull brown feathers, with slightly darker highlights along the head like its male counterpart. Finnich is small, plump and vulnerable, relying on its larger relatives to protect it.

Boraureal (buh-_Ror_-reh-AL)  
_(more info later)_

Finalore (FIN-uh-lor), the Attention Pokémon  
Type: Normal/Flying  
Height: 67.4 cm Weight: 20.5 kg  
Ability: Tangled Feet

Description: Finalore is essentially the pimped-out male evolution of Finnich. Imagine a double-crested cockatiel and a bird of paradise blended together that constantly begs for attention. That's basically Finalore. It's a medium-sized bird, fairly sleek and elegant. Its two gray-black crests fan up from the back of Finalore's head. Black markings run in a crescent around the eyes, in a diamond shape along either side of its body, along the tops of its wings, and in three sections of the tail plumage. The top half of its beak is black as well. Behaviorally, Finalore acts as a diversion, distracting any potential predators from its offspring and drawing them away from the nest. They can also be aggressive, defending their Finnich children to the death.

Mesterquin (MES-ter-kwin), the Guile Pokémon  
Type: Psychic/Dark  
Height: 178.2 cm Weight: 70.9 kg  
Ability: Soundproof or Filter

Description: Mr. Mime meets Jack Skellington. Mesterquin has a basic humanoid structure with a long, skinny torso, black at the top and bottom, fading to white. Against the white background are large black diamonds. Its white arms and legs are very long and skinny, with black diamond-shaped knee- and elbow-pads. Its feet are long and black and curl back at the tips. The hands are long and skinny like the limbs with black fingertips. It has a pointy ruff with a black upper layer and a white lower layer, almost like leaves. The face is white with a black mask. The eyes are glowing white and it constantly has a smile on its face. Its hair is huge and frizzy, divided into sections and hanging down like a jester's hat with a dangly bell on one section of hair. It has a white sweatband-like thing around its hair. Mesterquin is a trickster by nature and loves laughter, drawn to good-natured and jolly people and Pokémon.


	2. Decisions, Decisions

Bronze breathed a sigh of relief, having dived out of the way of his attackers.

"Yeah, I think so," gasped Bronze. "I was scared for a minute there. Those Finalore meant business!"

"Well, if you knew anything about Pokémon," came a cool, feminine voice from behind Professor Maple, "You would know not to go anywhere near a Finalore or its young." A tall, thin frame appeared before Bronze, staring straight at him with truly smug disdain.

"But guessing from your. . . situation," she continued calmly, a smirk crawling across her lips, "I'm guessing that's just what you did."

"Thanks again, Jade, for making me feel like a total dumbass," replied a fairly humbled Bronze from the ground. "Now, if you're done chastising me, I'd appreciate some help getting up."

"Gladly, butt-munch," smiled Jade, holding out a hand for Bronze, who grasped it and heaved himself back onto his feet.

"Geez, thirteen years later and you're still the same," marveled Jade. "Tripping over your own feet, always getting into trouble. . . ."

"And you haven't changed either," Bronze retorted. "Never miss a chance to criticize, do you?"

"Okay!" interjected Professor Maple before Jade could think of a reply. "So you're probably wondering why I called you here. Well, I'm—"

"Going to give us our first Pokémon. We know," interrupted Jade.

"H—how did you know that?" asked Professor Maple, stunned.

"Call it a hunch," said Bronze. "So. . . can we see them?"

Professor Maple stared at them for a moment, confused, then said, "Yeah. . . . Yeah, of course! Right this way." As they started off toward the Lab, Bronze gazed at the familiar edifice in the distance: the high, domed glass-and-steel roof, the giant Pokéball protruding proudly from the huge concrete façade, and the overall air of scientific progress. The trio entered through the automatic glass doors into a different world. Men and women in lab coats scampered across the lobby carrying file folders and gadgets; electronic screens shone with announcements and data; scientists extracted test tubes carefully from coolant vats; everywhere they looked, Pokémon research was underway. Professor Maple led Bronze and Jade past the bustling activity to a smaller back room. A circular console covered with flashing lights, buttons and keyboards stood in the center around a steel platform with three holes embedded in its surface. _"Weird,"_ thought Bronze. _"I don't remember this part of the lab."_

"Is everything prepared, Dr. Holcomb?" asked Professor Maple briskly.

"Yep," replied a young woman standing off to the side, typing furiously, "everything's ready as per your specifications, Professor."

"Excellent!" said the Professor with a smile. "All right, you two, I bet you're just dying to know what's going on." Bronze and Jade, hardly able to contain their excitement, nodded their heads enthusiastically.

"I thought so." He pressed a large button on the side of the console. Three steel pedestals rose from the holes in the platform with a mechanical whirr, each with its own gleaming red-and-white Pokéball. Bronze and Jade, wide-eyed and open-mouthed, stared at each other in disbelief.

"Contained within these three Pokéballs," continued Professor Maple, "are the three Pokémon from which you two may choose your starting Pokémon. I trust that you two know that you can only take one of them."

Professor Maple walked to the console and pressed three flashing buttons, releasing the Pokémon from their Pokéballs with a brilliant red flash. Bronze and Jade gasped. Three small figures stood on the ground before them, what appeared to be a bird, an alligator, and a dog.

"Wow," said Jade. "What are they?"

"They're Pokémon!" said Bronze incredulously.

"Well, yeah, I know that, you idiot," Jade scoffed. "I mean, what are they called?"

"This one," Professor Maple indicated the bird, "is Flejleef." The small avian creature cooed and rubbed its head against the Professor's leg.

"AWWWW!" remarked Jade.

"Ugh." Bronze shuddered.

"What do you mean, 'ugh'?" demanded Jade. "It's adorable!"

"I guess I'm still a little. . . wary of birds. From before," explained Bronze. Jade ignored him.

"This little guy," said Professor Maple, pointing to the alligator, "is Caymud."

The small alligator looked up at the two, confused. He then turned promptly to Professor Maple and happily chewed on his ankle.

"AHAHAHHHHHHH!" he screamed, trying to dislodge his reptilian attacker. Bronze and Jade couldn't help snickering slightly.

"Holcomb, could you help me out?" Maple shouted. Holcomb looked up from the work she was doing, taken aback at the sight before her. She quickly whipped out a Pokéball from her pocket and released a bearlike Pokémon.

"Spinda, use Hypnosis on Caymud!" Holcomb called authoritatively. The Spinda responded immediately, raising her arms and calling to the Caymud, who made eye contact. Spinda's eyes glowed blue and she lowered her arms slowly, lulling the Caymud to sleep. The crocodilian finally relaxed his jaw and slumped to the floor, unconscious. Professor Maple, his flailing brought to a halt, rubbed his sore leg for a moment while Spinda stood guard. Professor Maple went on.

"The last Pokémon we have," said Maple finally, "is Puppok." The diminutive canine looked up at Bronze, sat on his haunches, and wagged his tadpole-tail happily.

Bronze smiled and pointed to Puppok. "I like that one." The dog Pokémon stepped up and licked Bronze's outstretched hand affectionately.

"Wow," remarked Professor Maple. "That Puppok really seems to like you, Bronze."

"You think so?" Bronze crouched down. He laughed as the Puppok leapt up and started licking his face contentedly.

"So, Bronze," said Professor Maple. "Have you decided?"

Bronze nodded, beaming. "Yeah, I think I have."

"All right!" he enthused. "That just leaves you, Jade. Have you—?" Bronze and Professor Maple turned to see that Jade had knelt on the ground and was trying to lure the tiny Flejleef toward her. Despite her clucking coos and outstretched hands, the Flejleef remained somewhat suspicious. A downhearted look came over her face.

"Don't worry, Jade," Professor Maple assured her. "He just takes a while getting used to new people, that's all."

"Okay. It's just—oh!" Jade remembered something. She reached into her bag and pulled out a cracker. She held it out for the Flejleef, who gazed at it cautiously. He stepped slowly toward her, extended his beak toward the cracker, and daintily took a bite. Jade reached out with her other hand to pet him. The Flejleef recoiled, startled by her sudden action. Jade sighed.

"It's okay, Jade," Professor Maple told her. "Do you want Flejleef?" Jade looked from the Flejleef to Professor Maple and nodded ruefully.

"Then just take him with you," Professor Maple offered. "He'll be better off out in the world than cooped up in here."

Jade lit up. "Really, Professor? Can I really keep him?"

"Of course!" Professor Maple replied jovially. "I'm sure he'll warm up to you in no time."

He knelt down and nudged the Flejleef gently. "Flejleef, this is Jade. She's going to be your new friend. Would you like to say hello?" Flejleef fidgeted and looked up at Jade shyly. Professor Maple picked him up ever so carefully in his arms and brought him over slowly to Jade, who reached out a hand tentatively, but hesitated.

"Go on," encouraged Professor Maple. "I've got him. He'll be fine."

"All right," said Jade anxiously. She reached out her hand once more, holding her breath, and slowly stroked the Flejleef's back. It was velvety and soft. She couldn't tell what she was petting, but it seemed to cover the Flejleef's entire body like verdant down. The Flejleef was still slightly concerned with Jade, but his nervousness had dissipated. He cooed softly; Jade giggled.

"He's so cute," she commented, enamored with the tiny bird. "Isn't he cute, Bronze?" Bronze could care less how cute her Flejleef was. He was too busy happily rubbing his Puppok's ears. A tinge of jealousy crossed Jade's eyes.

"All right, you two," Professor Maple said with a grin. "Now that you've met your new Pokémon, it stands to reason that you'd want to know all about them, right?"

"Well, yeah!" exclaimed Jade.

"Sure, I guess," said Bronze with a shrug, scratching Puppok's head.

"Well! Because I'm so awesome," Professor Maple began, rummaging through a drawer full of gadgets, "I'm going to give you these." He handed them two red-and-silver devices.

"What's this?" asked Bronze. "It looks like a Blackberry or something."

"You nitwit!" shrieked Jade. "It's a Pokédex! What the hell is wrong with you?"

"God, Jade, calm down," said Professor Maple, keeping the panicky Flejleef from fleeing. "But yes, they are Pokédexes. They automatically update themselves, keeping track of the Pokémon you encounter and/or capture, and—get this—they give you all sorts of information about every Pokémon you meet! Isn't that cool?"

"YES!" shouted Jade, causing Flejleef to squawk nervously.

"Yeah, whatever," said Bronze, who was busy patting his Puppok's belly. The other two gave Bronze a cold look.

"I'm thinking about not giving this to you, you know," said Professor Maple.

"No, it's really cool!" Bronze assured him. "Sorry. I guess I'm just distracted."

Professor Maple sighed. "Understandable."

"Forget about him!" Jade interjected. "I wanna try it out!"

"Here you go!" Professor Maple happily handed her the Pokédex. After examining it for a moment, she pressed a large Pokéball-shaped button on the front; the Pokéball button rotated ninety degrees, and the two halves of the Pokéball diverged, sliding to either end of the Pokédex. Four sections of the Pokédex folded outward, revealing three small display screens on the interior side of three of the four out-turned sections and one main display screen in the center. The screens were blank, but pulsing slowly with a grey light.

Jade looked perplexed. "How does it—how do I. . ."

Professor Maple laughed. "Here." He held out Flejleef in front of her. "Just point the Pokédex at him and click the 'enter' button." Jade looked down at the Pokédex and saw what looked like a miniature keyboard on the bottommost section. She clicked a button labeled ENTER on the keyboard. The device whirred and flashed a red light, producing a mechanical voice.

"Flejleef, the Fledgling Pokémon," it said coolly. "Not yet a strong flyer, Flejleef hops from tree to tree, feeding on leaves. This jungle-dwelling bird's constant diet of leaves causes its feathers to transform into leaves themselves."

"Wow," remarked Jade amazedly. "Those feathers are actually leaves?"

"Eh, not quite," replied the Professor. "We've actually been studying Flejleef for some time. We've discovered that the feathers are in a sort of half-feather, half-leaf stage. They don't transform completely into leaves until they reach maturity. Still, it's pretty cool. So, Bronze," Professor Maple asked, "do you want to see your Pokédex?"

"Sure!" Bronze eagerly took the Pokédex from Professor Maple, activated it, pointed it at Puppok and pressed the ENTER button.

"Puppok, the Sea Pup Pokémon," gave the Pokédex promptly. "Generations of living along the coastline caused Puppok to adapt to an aquatic lifestyle. The stones embedded in its skin serve as weights to keep it from floating to the surface."

"Oh, so that's what those rocks are for," said Bronze, scratching his Puppok's ears affectionately.

"These are so cool!" exclaimed Jade, fiddling intently with her Pokédex.

"Thanks, Professor Maple!" said Bronze.

"Oh, yeah, thanks," said Jade dismissively as she continued to explore the device.

"You're very welcome!" Professor Maple beamed at them. "And now that you're properly equipped, I have a favor to ask of you."

"A favor?" asked Bronze. "What do you mean?"

"Well, it's more of an errand," explained Professor Maple. "See, a fellow researcher is doing field work in Senyo Forest, just south of here. He's studying the behavior of several species of wild Pokémon there. As you know, the lab here in Alcapo Town specializes in Pokémon behavior. "He keeps me updated on the goings-on while he's in the field, and apparently he's made a breakthrough. He's procured important physical evidence from a species of Pokémon rarely seen in Senyo Forest, as well as compiled a wealth of study on the subject. While he'd love to return the collected material to the lab for further analysis, he's still in the middle of research, and he'd hate to stop now when success seems so near. "And so, we need someone to go to his research hut on the northern outskirts of Senyo Forest. Naturally, I thought it'd be a great way for you two to test your mettle, you know, get out and see the world—while getting to know your new Pokémon, of course. Think of it as a way of thanking me for the Pokédexes. "So, what do you say? You up for it?"

Bronze and Jade looked at each other for a moment, then smiled.

"Definitely," said Jade.

Flejleef, the Fledgling Pokémon

Type: Grass/Flying

Height: 50 cm Weight: 2 kg

Ability: Overgrow

Description: Flejleef greatly resembles a parakeet or similar breed of small parrot, bright green in color, with lighter green on the underside, feet and beak. The pattern on its underside resembles a large leaf. As stated, the feathers are half-metamorphosed into leaves. Pretty self-explanatory.

Caymud, the Tar Caiman Pokémon

Type: Fire

Height: 62 cm Weight: 9.4 kg

Ability: Blaze

Description: Caymud looks much like a young alligator, though considerably stockier. A jagged line separates the black lower half from the orange-red upper half. The legs are black from the elbows/knees down. It has large, bright eyes and a near-constant smile.

Puppok, the Sea Pup Pokémon

Type: Water

Height: 55 cm Weight: 9.1 kg

Ability: Torrent

Description: Imagine a half-developed blue tadpole mixed with a German shepherd puppy. That's pretty much Puppok. The tail is a tadpole's, the face canine, the feet webbed, and the skin rubbery. Several smooth rocks ring its neck. Along its back are more of these rocks, from which stand spines. The spines are connected with webbing similar to fins


	3. Animosity

Bronze and Jade marched on toward Route 52, chattering excitedly about their errand.

"It's still just so surreal!" chimed Bronze, his Puppok trotting happily by his side.

"Yeah," said Jade with a fake smile, caressing her Flejleef's Pokéball in her pocket and sighing.

"We should think of a name for you," added Bronze with a nod. Puppok looked up with a quizzical grin. "How about Pokey?"

"Stupid!" Jade half-covered with a cough. Bronze shot Jade an exasperated look. She cleared her throat.

"Sorry, must have been the cotton in the air," Jade dismissed nonchalantly.

"Okay, maybe Pokey isn't the best name," admitted Bronze. "Let's see. . . . The Pokédex said those are rocks around your neck." He indicated the stones ringing Puppok's neck.

"I've got it!" he exclaimed. "Rocky! Yeah, that's a great name for you! What do you say, buddy?"

Puppoky stared at Bronze for a moment, then leapt into his arms, licking his face in agreement.

"All right, Puppo—I mean, Rocky," said Bronze to the happy Puppok in his arms.

"Hey, Jade, why don't you give your Flejleef a nickname?" offered Bronze cheerily.

"No. . . that's okay," murmured Jade.

"Okay, suit yourself."

Jade stared at Bronze and his Puppok, then shot angrily, "Nicknames are stupid anyway." Bronze was astonished. His eyes widened and then narrowed.

"You know, just 'cause your Pokémon hates you, it doesn't mean you have to be mean to me," he snarled back. Jade's jaw dropped.

"You take that back!"

"No!" retorted Bronze. "You're always giving me shit, and the first time something starts to go right for me, you attack me for it! What gives?" Jade clenched her fists.

"What gives?" bellowed Jade. "I'll tell you what gives! All my life, I've been waiting for this day, to get my first Pokémon, and it's not how I wanted it to be at all! And then you! With your little Puppok that loves the shit out of you—you don't even have to try! I mean, you don't know anything about Pokémon! ANYTHING! And then _you_ try and tell _me_ about _MY_ Pokémon? No! NO!"

She shot Bronze furious looks between heaving breaths. Frightened, the newly christened Rocky ran behind Bronze's legs, its tail between its own. Bronze looked down at his Puppok with concern, and then at Jade, who fumed still.

"Jade," Bronze began, "I. . . I'm sorry. Your Flejleef doesn't hate you, I know. "But," he cut her off, "I mean, what am I supposed to say? You are _ALWAYS_ so mean to me about not knowing stuff about Pokémon. This is my _one chance_ to be better at something than you, to treat you the same way you've treated me. And besides, your Pokémon hasn't come out of its Pokéball since we were at Maple's lab! And why?"

"Shut up!" shrieked Jade. "I hate you! Just SHUT UP!"

"It doesn't like you!" yelled Bronze. "You suck with Pokémon!"

"GO TO HELL!" screamed Jade. "I LOVE MY POKÉMON! YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING! YOU ARE SO STUPID!"

"Oh, yeah?" Bronze shouted back. "All right! Come on, right here, right now! Let's go!"

"What the hell are you talking about?" she screeched back.

"Rocky versus your Flejleef!" he cried boldly. Rocky stared at him blankly. Jade reached for the Pokéball in her pocket, but then shook her head.

"I don't need to prove anything to you, Bronze!" declared Jade proudly. "You're wasting my time!"

"You just know you'd lose!" taunted Bronze. "You're chicken!"

"God, I hate you!"

"CHICKEN!"

"I HATE YOU!"

"CHICKEN!"

"GAAAHH!" howled Jade. "You are SO STUPID! You want a battle? I'll show you a battle!" She whipped out her Pokéball furiously. "Go, Flejleef!" cried Jade as she released the Fledgling Pokémon. "Haha—huh?"

Jade looked on with disbelief. Flejleef stood a distance away, preening its feathers dignifiedly. It either didn't know or didn't care about the ensuing fight between Jade and Bronze, and it certainly didn't notice the mortified look on Jade's face.

"Flejleef!" snapped Jade through clenched teeth. Flejleef raised its head a little and then continued cleaning itself. Jade hung her head in defeat.

"Flejleef, come on," pleaded Jade. "Help me out here! You're making me look bad!"

The little bird turned to look at Jade, then at Bronze and Puppok, and then down at its feet uncertainly.

"Here, Flejleef!" called Jade. This time she had a cracker in her hand. Flejleef perked up and hopped on over. She handed the cracker to the bird, which munched it happily.

"Now Flejleef," she told it once it had finished its snack, "I need you to help me. We're gonna win this battle, all right?" Flejleef nodded tentatively. Jade smiled and turned to face Bronze.

"Are you ready, jackass?" taunted Jade.

"Ready as I'll ever be!" he replied. "You scheming mega-bitch," he added under his breath.

"Good! Rocky," she empathized. "Not only did your trainer give you a terrible name—"

"Not only did your trainer give you a terrible name," mocked Bronze.

"—he also," she went on, a bit louder, "is the reason why you're going to lose! Sorry about this, Rocky!"

"You're not the one who's sorry!" responded Bronze with a fiendish smirk. "Go, Rocky! Use Tackle!" Rocky barked in agreement and took off after Flejleef, who cowered in the face of his canine foe.

"Flejleef, Tail Whip!" countered Jade. Flejleef turned around to look at her; Jade covered her eyes, not wanting to see her poor Flejleef clobbered. But then. . . silence. Jade peered through her fingers cautiously. She couldn't believe what she saw. Rocky had stopped in his tracks a foot from Flejleef. The bird Pokémon shook his tiny hindquarters doggedly, momentarily distracting Bronze's Puppok. Jade saw her chance.

"Now, Flejleef! Scratch!" Jade commanded.

"Rocky, snap out of it!" cried Bronze, but before his Puppok could react, Flejleef jumped in the air, swiping Rocky's face with his clawed feet. Rocky yelped in pain.

"Hang in there, Rocky!" shouted Bronze.

"Quick, Flejleef, use Scratch again!"

"Rocky, stop 'em with Growl!" ordered Bronze. As Flejleef prepared another attack, Rocky bared its teeth and let out a low, menacing "_grrrrr_." Flejleef fell back, startled.

"Awesome!" enthused Bronze. "Now Tackle Flejleef!"

"Flejleef, dodge!" At the last second, Flejleef hopped to the side; nonetheless, Rocky's Tackle caught Flejleef's wing. It let out a harsh cry.

"Flejleef, before Rocky can get away, use Scratch!"

"Rocky, dodge and Tackle!"

Flejleef swung his talons at Rocky, but the small dog nimbly leapt away and then sprinted back, hurling himself at Flejleef.

"Counter with Scratch, Flejleef!" called Jade. As Rocky smacked into Flejleef, the bird stretched out his wing, raising its feathers to create a rough edge. Rocky slammed Flejleef with huge impact but took considerable damage as well. The two Pokémon rolled along the ground, overcome by their own power. Both had taken a beating and now lay motionless before their trainers. Bronze and Jade stood in silence, staring at the scene.

"Get up!" cried Jade suddenly. "C'mon, Flejleef! Please!"

Flejleef stirred slightly, struggling to get up.

"You can do it, Rocky!" exclaimed Bronze. "Get up, buddy, come on!" Rocky worked to get to his feet. The two Pokémon fought with every aching muscle in their little bodies and slowly gained their footing once more, panting and gasping.

"Way to go, Flejleef!" cheered Jade.

"Yeah, Rocky, awesome!" emoted Bronze. "Now take Flejleef out!"

"Do it, Flejleef!" shouted Jade. "He's only got a little bit left!"

Both creatures stumbled toward each other, determined to win.

"What do you think you're doing⁈"


End file.
